


Partners

by go_ask_ash



Series: Trial and Error [3]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Asexual Character, Gen, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Reno, Trans Rufus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:26:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26014969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/go_ask_ash/pseuds/go_ask_ash
Summary: Enter Rude.
Relationships: Reno/Rufus Shinra, Rufus Shinra/Reno
Series: Trial and Error [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888198
Kudos: 5





	Partners

“ _Reno_ ,”

Rufus’s voice brought him back to reality. He’d been staring out the picture window of the VP’s office daydreaming of a trip to the coast. Something about sunset over the ocean and his boss gazing at the horizon in the pink glow...

“I am putting in a request for Tseng to assign you a partner. Our time here has proven that it may be beneficial having another Turk assisting with reconnaissance. I know you’re going to argue-”

Just as expected, Reno was making a sour face and had opened his mouth to retort.

“However, between securing my safety and location at all times on top of gathering the intelligence we’ve been after, it’s no longer humanly possible for you to do this on your own.”

“Now wait just a minute there, _Boss_. Don’t I get any say in tha matter??”

“Ultimately, yes. You will have the final approval on the candidate. But if you’re asking if it’s possible to change my mind about this, then no.”

 _Gaia_ , sometimes Rufus got under his skin. His word was law, of course. Fuck that beach daydream. Right now he’d much rather sock the blonde square in the jaw. Even if he would end up regretting it later.

“Think of it this way: I need you at 100% to look out for my safety. No room for error there. With a partner out on the streets gathering intel, that gives you time to focus on what’s most **important**.” He looked Reno dead in the eye, emphasizing the fact that _important_ = ME. Selfish bastard. Selfish, gorgeous, bastard. 

  
A week later Tseng had his choice fly in from Midgar for a face to face meeting. The guy’s name was Rude (no joke), and Reno vaguely remembered him from a joint assignment a couple of years ago. Combat expert, didn’t talk much, and if his memory served him well enough, about a foot taller than him. Wonder if the Director did that on purpose. Seemed like his type of passive aggressive humor.   
Reno walked out on to the helipad to meet his prospect on arrival.   
His memory was correct. 190cm at least. Hilarious.

“What up there, partner? You must be Rude,” he shouted over the noise of the propellers winding down, “I know the Director probably told you this would be some formal ass interview, but that ain’t my style. Wanna grab a burger and a shake instead? My treat. It beats the questionable rations you’ll find around this joint any day.”   
“Sounds like a plan, Sir.” Rude never cracked a smile but his shoulders seemed to drop ever so slightly.   
“You ain’t gotta call me ‘sir’ neither. That’s a title for stuffy assholes like the Director and the VP. They get off on that shit, y’know? My name’s Reno, and that’ll do fine.”  
“Understood.” Was the stoic man’s only reply. His serious nature had him intrigued, and he was determined to see the man laugh. Otherwise, this one was a no go. 

At the diner things went pretty smoothly. Rude was observant, direct, and liked to take his coffee with three sugars and two creams. (You can tell a lot about a man by the way he drinks his coffee.) Reno also was able to make him laugh. Once. A deep, rolling chuckle that shook the entire table before he had a chance to regain his composure.

“So listen, I like you. You’re smart, skilled, and compliant. That’s checking all my boxes so far. But if we are actually going to be partners in the field I need you to get one thing perfectly clear- never, EVER am I to be picked up and carried like a goddamn princess. I don’t care if all of my ribs are broken and you have to sling me over your shoulders. Men are allowed a certain amount of pride, and this is the limit of mine.   
That being said, we got a deal here?” 

_That’s_ when Rude laughed. It was infectious, and they both cackled for a solid minute before managing any further coherent conversation. Wiping the tears out of his eyes, Reno repeated his offer, 100% confident in the man across the table.   
“Ready for an adventure, Partner?”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the years, Reno often considered telling Rude about his past. But every time he almost brought it up, a little voice in his head would quickly dash the thought away.  
‘ _He will look at you differently. You’ll lose all of your hard earned respect. What would be the point except to ruin things?_ ’ His brain was ever vigilant with insecurities. 

They fell into a quirky routine during assignments that required close personal interaction- Reno never paraded around nude in the presence of others, despite the fact the man couldn’t be bothered to wear a shirt with an appropriate neckline. When they dressed together, he was careful to face the opposite direction at all times; cracking jokes about Rude’s modesty and shy nature.   
Once, while working a job under the plate, Reno had been grazed by a bullet, narrowly making his escape from an underground casino where a few Shinra execs were known to hang around. He unceremoniously flopped into the chopper, pulling a hand away from his chest covered in bright red blood. Rude rushed to his side with the “repair kit” (as the Turks jokingly called the first-aid box) in hand and made a motion to peel back the blood soaked shirt.   
“Hold your horses there partner, I’ll take it from here,” he winced, still managing a grin, “You know how the sight of blood makes you woozy. Don’t have the energy for one of your fainting spells on top of a patch job.”   
The argument was won and he doctored himself up alone in the back as Rude returned to the co-pilot seat. 

_That was too close. Gotta watch your back better than that, Red._   
Goddamn his traitorous body and mind.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fast forward a few years.

A certain Cloud Strife and a group of terrorists called AVALANCHE royally fucked up Reno and Rude’s mission to drop the Sector 7 plate.   
Rude looked at his unconscious partner lying on the ground. No doubt he was sporting multiple broken ribs, and one could only hope his spine had avoided any major damage. Remembering their diner conversation that seemed like a lifetime ago, he knelt down and draped Reno gracefully over the back of his shoulders. No princess would be caught dead like this.   
A second later the Medic swooped in and Shinra EMTs quickly shuffled his partner away as Rude had no choice but to watch helplessly and stand guard. They had been through hell and back together these past few years. Nothing was going to keep him from watching the redhead’s back now. Not even a few high and mighty doctors. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reno opened his eyes and made the connection he was back at HQ. In the Turk dorms, lying in his own bed. He looked over and saw Rude sitting on the floor in the corner, ever present sunglasses masking whether the man was sleeping or just the embodiment of a human statue. When he finally looked down to assess the damage, what he found hit him like a chocobo kick to the gut. His suit jacket and shirt were nowhere to be seen, along with his slacks. Bandages covered his exposed chest, but not enough to conceal the faded half moons that he’d spent years carefully hiding from the world.   
Sitting up with a jolt he scanned the bedroom floor for any discarded shirt or jacket he could grab and throw on before anyone else came in.   
“Where’s the fire?” Rude asked sleepily, slowly getting to his feet.   
“Rude. Hand me a shirt, would ya? There should be some in the closet over there.” He reached in and tossed over one of the wrinkled white shirts.   
Reno pulled it over his shoulders (still disregarding the buttons) and looked away from his partner.   
“Guess you got the full view, huh. Never intended on fucking up enough for you to have to see me like this. Sorry I never told you about…   
Sweet Shiva on toast I sound ridiculous, don’t I?” He laughed in spite of the crushing pain now growing in his rib cage- how pathetic he must sound. 

“Like an absolute _ass_.” Rude gave one of his thousand watt smiles reserved for those blessed to know him outside of his life as a Turk.   
“My first week on the job Rufus called me into his office for a private meeting. He gave me your medicals, told me to memorize every page. As your partner he said I was expected to keep you alive and safe, under any circumstances, because, and I quote, ‘ _Reno is an incredibly valuable asset to my company.. And to be honest, myself as well.’_ So your appearance wasn’t exactly the dramatic twist you were hoping for.”

 _“You’ve known. All these years._ And you just let me carry on like nothing at all…”

“Reno, I intend to live as a gentleman, no matter what my job title may imply. You are not only my superior, but my partner, and have earned the utmost respect time and again in our service together.   
You’re a good man and a great fucking Turk.   
So don’t let me hear you complaining about any bruises after I had to sling some DIVA over my shoulders instead of being carried like a princess because of his _pride_.”

The redhead thought his heart might burst, and not from the pain of four broken ribs.  
“Rude, what in Gaia did I do to deserve you?” 

“Really it’s not me you have to thank. The VP looked me straight in the eye that night and said if any of that information ever left his office he would personally slit my throat and stride into work the next day with a new red suit.”

Reno **_blushed_**.

“He was here you know. Busted in the minute I brought you down, demanding to know your status. Still would be, if it wasn’t for his damn PHS ringing incessantly. That on the table is for you.”

On the nightstand next to the bed there were two bottles and a white business card. One was a potion, the other was a bottle of golden colored whiskey sure to cost more than all his possessions combined. The business card belonged to one _Rufus fucking Shinra, Vice President_. The back had a scrawled message that read ‘One for now, one for later.’

Tilting back the potion all in one swig, Reno attempted to stand. “Guess it’s time for our briefing with the Director, since I’m back among the living.”  
“Best not to drag things out,” Rude agreed.   
This time he graciously accepted the man’s assistance getting back into his usual black suit. Carefully buckling the coat, he left his bandaged chest exposed per usual. Wrecked or not, this was **still** Gaia’s greatest gift. 

In the conference room with Tseng, the phone rang.   
_“The VP needs us.”_

**Author's Note:**

> I always imagined it would be incredibly difficult for Reno to bring this up with Rude. They’re expected to be thick as thieves, but where do you even begin?
> 
> Y’ALL I AM ENJOYING THIS SERIES SO MUCH AND I HOPE YOU ARE TOO!


End file.
